Game of Thorns, an outdoor exhibition at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, focuses on the art and armaments of botanical warfare. Over millions of years, endless duels between California native plants and their predators have given rise to the incredible thorns we see today. The exhibition features these living fortresses and showcases their weaponry through large-scale macro and microscope photography, gigantic sculptures, immersive exhibits and more.

When it comes to war, plants don’t retreat. Rooted to the ground like castles of old, plants have evolved an array of armaments to defend against their mortal enemies. This floral arms race has produced a stockpile of protrusions, from spines as sharp as samurai swords to insidious barbs that resemble whaling harpoons. Perhaps all of us have experienced the unexpected wrath of a plant’s thorns, spines, needles, prickles or barbs. With anatomical names as diverse as the pained noises they can cause, plants have independently evolved these protrusions many times over. Barbed, hooked, serrated and envenomed, microscopic or massive, warningly poised in vivid color or stealthily hidden, the arsenal and qualities of botanical weapons are limitless.

Indeed, the botanical battlefield is a Game of Thorns.

The exhibition is open to the public daily, 8 am - 5 pm, in the Container Garden. Admission to the exhibition is included with standard admission or membership.

Discover the weaponry of California native plants on massive scales in the Grove of Thorns! Part of the Game of Thorns exhibition, these giant crystalline thorns reveal the anatomy and eerie beauty of thorns, spines and prickles from battle-ready plants. Visit this surreal grove, free with general admission, now through August 2018. We thank our sponsors and community of Kickstarter backers that made this epic exhibition possible.

Game of Thorns, an outdoor exhibition at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, focuses on the art and armaments of botanical warfare. Over millions of years, endless duels between California native plants and their predators have given rise to the incredible thorns we see today. The exhibition features these living fortresses and showcases their weaponry through large-scale macro and microscope photography, gigantic sculptures, immersive exhibits and more.

This fall, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden will unveil "Game of Thorns," an exhibition focused on the art and armaments of botanical warfare. Over the course of millennia, endless duels between native plants and their predators have given rise to the incredible thorns we see today. The exhibit will feature these living fortresses and will showcase the weaponry of California's great botanical "houses" that defend themselves with honor, chief among them: House Agave, House Cactaceae, House Legume, and House Rosa.

This project funded the creation of eight glass thorns - including one for each of the major houses. Each thorn measures 36" in height, is lofted off the ground and lit in spectacular fashion!

For a limited time the below rewards are available for Reinforcement Backers.

$25 - Reinforcement Backer (you receive: thank you letter, one-time-use admission ticket for one person to the Garden to see the exhibit and one sticker (house of your choice)

$50 - Reinforcement Backer (you receive: thank you letter, one-time-use admission ticket for one person to the Garden to see the exhibit, suite of four stickers (one from each house).

$100 - Reinforcement Backer (you receive: thank you letter, two one-time-use admission tickets to the Garden to see the exhibit, suite of four stickers (one from each house).

$250 - Reinforcement Backer (you receive: thank you letter, two one-time-use admission tickets to the Garden to see the exhibit, suite of four stickers (one from each house), and invitation for two people to the VIP opening reception of Game of Thorns at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden).

$500 - Reinforcement Backer(you receive: thank you letter, two one-time-use admission tickets to the Garden to see the exhibit, suite of four stickers (one from each house), invitation for four people to the VIP opening reception of Game of Thorns at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and Game of Thorns t-shirt).

$1,000 - Reinforcement Backer (you receive: thank you letter, two one-time-use admission tickets to the Garden to see the exhibit, suite of four stickers (one from each house), invitation for four people to the VIP opening reception of Game of Thorns at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and Game of Thorns t-shirt).

Friday Nights in March, 5:30 pm - 8 pm in the Grove of Thorns

Spiked plants make fabulous spiked drinks - get even with the plants that cause you pain and enjoy wicked cocktails made with spiny botanicals. Sip away in the Grove of Thorns, an installation of gigantic spines, prickles and thorns - brilliantly lit on these magical evenings. The menu will include four dangerously delicious cocktails - representing the four epic houses of the Game of Thorns: Rosa, Agave, Cactaceae and Legume. Live music, unbeatable ambiance and spiked drinks will make these Friday nights too good to miss.

Celebrate spring with great deals on a wide selection of California native plants at our Grow Native Nursery (GNN)! In addition, get inspiration for your yard or outdoor space with free admission to the Garden.

Saturday, March 31, 9 am -12 pm

Just think of it: You're a plant, rooted to the ground, and some hungry animal is headed your way. How do plants "know" when they are under attack, and how do they protect themselves?

In this workshop, Loraine Washburn, PhD, RSABG Laboratory Manager and Conservation Botanist, (and interpreter of the Game of Thorns exhibit), will introduce you to the many ways that plants defend themselves in the face of threats from all kingdoms of life: insects, mammals, fungi, and other plants.

With a special focus on the defenses featured in the Game of Thorns exhibit, this experiential and interactive workshop will invite you to closely examine and contemplate plants both as prey and as defensive living organisms. We will focus first on plants in the exhibit, and then also walk in the Garden to gain appreciation of the many evolutionary pathways that have allowed California native species to defend themselves from their enemies.

If you need special accommodations, please contact Community Education Coordinator, Diana Nightingale at least three days prior to the talk at (909)-625-8767 ext. 251 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.